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Television's Mixed Messages: Choose the Best and Mute the Rest
Author(s) -
Schreck Kimberly A.,
Ramirez Joshua E.
Publication year - 2016
Publication title -
behavioral interventions
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.605
H-Index - 34
eISSN - 1099-078X
pISSN - 1072-0847
DOI - 10.1002/bin.1449
Subject(s) - autism , psychology , broadcasting (networking) , inclusion (mineral) , representation (politics) , rest (music) , mental state , developmental psychology , advertising , social psychology , clinical psychology , psychiatry , medicine , political science , computer science , computer network , business , politics , law , cardiology
Media consistently influences peoples' choices from what to buy, to the state of the social world, to treatment choices for people with mental health problems or autism. This study investigated television networks' (i.e., National Broadcasting Company, American Broadcasting Company, and Columbia Broadcasting System) representation of non‐scientifically and scientifically supported treatments for autism. Transcripts ( N = 312) from 2000 to 2012 were analyzed for the inclusion of autism treatment keywords and negative or positive comments about treatments. Results indicated that networks used the most keywords about applied behavior analysis (ABA), with diet therapies a close second. Trends over the 12‐year span showed increased coverage of non‐scientifically supported treatments. Similar positive and negative descriptive words were used for both ABA and non‐scientifically supported treatments with trends decreasing over the 12 years for both positive and negative terms about ABA. The results indicate that parents continue to receive inaccurate information about effective treatments for children with autism. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.